Brush-holder and terminal for connecting electric cable.



R. H. CUNNINGHAM. BRUSH HOLDER AND TERMINAL FOR CONNECTING ELECTRIC CABLE.

APPLICATION FILED DECLZI. 1912.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

FIG. 3.

FIG-2.

FIG.1.

WITNESSES: 1% a 3 7 K 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD H. CUNNINGHAM, or NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T srmrnoar ELEc'rnio'AL COMPANY, on NEWARK, new JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

Application filed December 21, 1912. Serial No. 738,004.

To all whom it may concern 'Be it known that I, RICHARD H. CUNNING- HAM, a citizen of the United States, aresident of New York city, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brush- Holders and Terminals for Connecting Electric Cable, of which the following is a specibustion engines. On many of these engines,

the ignition'apparatus is at times exposed to rain, mud and dirt, oil and other foreign material, and unless the electrical circuits and parts used in connection with the circuits are well protected, serious defects at once show up.

My invention consists in providing a block of insulating material, having two openings therein, at right angles to each other. One of these openings is adapted to receive a collecting brush and the other a metal terminal, to which a flexible electrical cable is connected. This plugterminal is of metal and provided with suitable insulation material around it, in such a manner as to receive the electrical cable, and to provide a thoroughly moisture proof instal-I lation. Thus it is not necessary to use any external rubber cap outside, around the cable, and adapted to be pushed down over the plug and brush holder, as is the case on other so called water and dirt proof connections.

In the drawings which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 shows the brush holder partly in section and partly in elevation. -Fig. 2 is a front view of the brush holder, showing'the leg adapted to receive the terminal -plug, which is represented in Fig. 4:. Fig. 3 shows Figs. 2 and 4 joined, with a portion of the material cut away, so as to show the electrical connections. as well as the mechanical means taken to fulfil the requirements of my invention.

Referring to the different figures, 1 is a block of insulating material, surrounding a metal connecting piece, or insert. 2. This insert 2 is made with two legs at right angles to each other, as shown in Fig. 1, and may be made of one or two pieces, as preferred. One leg of the insert 2 is bored out as shown at 12, which opening is. adapted to receive a collecting brush, which is used to collect the current from a rotating element. bored out to receive a connecting terminal plug 5, which is surrounded by insulating material 4 The two legs are preferably joined by a reduced portion 16, which serves to lock the inserts and block of insulating material together.

I prefer to mold insulation around the plug 5, and likewise, the insulation 1 around insert 2, but I do not wishto-be limited to this construction. .The' metal terminal 5 is so located with reference to the insulation 4, that a cup is left at the top; thetop of the terminal metal plug forming the bottom of said cup. This is represented by 1 1; The terminal 5 has a' hole 15 extending through its center to the cross hole 8.

The insulation of the electric cable '3, is removed from the electrical conductor in such a manner that the said insulation fits against the metal terminal '5, and the electrical conductor .7, passes through the vertical hole 15 in 5 and is soldered at the cross hole 8. flush with-the surface of the terminal 5, thus absolutely-sealing 'the opening 15 so that water cannot run down the cable and into the opening 13 of the brush'holder.

The other leg has an opening'13 The insulation 4 has an annular open space around the terminal 5,-which annular space is adapted to receive the upper edge of in-" sulation 10 of the brush holder and fits against the shoulder 11, on side of brush holder. The brush holder itself'is attached other foreign material to interfere. with the electrical circuits connected through "my combination of parts when said parts are assembled on to the ignition apparatus, with which they are used. It is also seen that the plug terminal to which the electrical cable 3 is connected may be removed from the brush holder for the purpose of putting in new cable, or for taking the ignition machine from the explosive engine without inconvenience arises.

v will come within the scope of the appended In general, my invention provides a cheap and ready means of making the electrical connections involved, at the same time, providing the other features herein set forth.

While I am aware" that various details shown may be rearranged and put up in a different form by one skilled in the art, yet, these alterations and substitutions, I believe claims.

-What I desire to claim, is: 1. In a device of the class described, the combination of an electric cable and a terminaltherefor, a block of insulating material having two borings disposed at right angles to each other, of metallic connecting pieces fitting tightly into each of said borings and means within the interior of said block for connecting and locking said metallic connecting pieces securely in position, said cable terminal adapted to enter and make contact with one of said connect-' ing pieces, the other of said metallic pieces being adapted to take a brush, as herein described.

2. In a device of the class described, the

combination of an electric cable, a terminal opening leading into said longitudinal opening forsecuring the electrical cable in position, whereby the longitudinal opening is closed; said plug and brush holder having two projections, each carrying a metal insert one insert being adapted to take a brush, the other the said terminal plug, said inserts being electrically connected and mechanically locked on the interiorof the brush holder, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of an. electric cable, a terminal plug, a plug and brush holder, said plug having a metallic center, said electric cable adapted to be attached to the metal center of said plug, a homogeneous mass of insulating material surrounding the metallic center of said plug and forming an annular chamber around one end thereof; said (plug and brush) holder being of a homogeneous material and having a metallic piece consisting of two thimbles joined substantially at right angles and having a reduced section at said union for locking the thimbles in place within said homogeneous insulating material, one of said thimbles adapted to receive a current collecting brush, the other having the insulating material shouldered and adapted to receive the annular chamber around said'terminal, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of an insulated electrical conductor and a terminal therefor, said terminal having a metallic center to which said cable is attached and an'exteriorinsulating wall having a cupped hole at one end to receive said cable and an annular opening at the other end surrounding the metallic center and a block of homogeneous insulating material having metallic connecting pieces set in the block, substantially at right angles to each other, said metallic connecting pieces being joined in the interior of said block so as to interlock with the material of said block whereby said metallic connecting pieces are prevented from being moved, one of said metallic pieces being adapted to receive said metallic terminal center and the other adapted to receive a collecting brush, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of an electrical cable and a terminal thereforhaving a metallic center and an annular insulating wall at both ends thereof thereby forming hollow recesses at both ends, the bottom of the recess at the cable end being formed by said metallic center, an opening .in said metallic center adapted to receive the conductor of said electrical cable and means for securely fastening said electrical cable to said metallic terminal whereby said opening is closed, a block of insulating material having projections, at right angles to each other, said projections carrying metal inserts joined on the interior of said block in such a manner as to form a lock whereby said inserts are pre vented from turning, one of said projections being shouldered and adapted to receive the said annular plug recess and metallic terminal, the other projection adapted to receive a collecting brush. substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD H. CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses FRANK H. MAHER, WILLIAM J. HART. 

